Menu
Jacoby Brissett sustains shoulder injury in Patriots' loss
New England Patriots starting quarterback Jacoby Brissett sustained an injury to his throwing shoulder in the first quarter of Sunday's 20-10 preseason loss to the Washington Commanders, with coach Jerod Mayo saying the veteran could have continued if the plan were to play him longer.
"I talked to him, but we'll see [Monday]. You always feel a little bit more sore the next day," Mayo said. "But he said he was good."
Brissett grimaced after he was sacked by Washington's KJ Henry on the sixth offensive play, with the 6-foot-4, 255-pound Henry coming in free due to a blocking miscue and the full force of his body landing on top of Brissett's right shoulder. As Brissett came to his feet, he brought his left hand across his chest to clutch the front of the shoulder.
He stayed in the game, connecting on a 6-yard pass on the following play and then delivering a pinpoint deep throw to receiver K.J. Osborn, which was dropped.
Brissett was pulled from the game after that, which Mayo said was the plan beforehand so that rookie Drake Maye could play through the end of the second quarter.
"He would have been able to continue," Mayo said of Brissett, who spent the rest of the night on the sideline.
In place of Brissett, Maye finished 13-of-20 for 126 yards and one touchdown, which came on his first drive. Maye also had a 17-yard run, which was a key play to set up the team's lone touchdown.
If Brissett's injury turns out to be more significant, Mayo and his coaching staff will then assess if they are comfortable turning things over to Maye, the No. 3 overall pick in the draft. Mayo wouldn't commit to that after Sunday's game, saying he needed to review the film.
"I would like to sit here and say 100 percent, he is our second-best quarterback on our roster right now," Mayo said.
Potentially complicating that possibility is the surrounding offensive cast, particularly on the line. The Patriots' top offensive line (minus center David Andrews) was called for eight penalties Sunday, and there was also one bad shotgun snap, another botched center-quarterback exchange and a blocking miscue on the play in which Brissett was sacked. Four of the eight penalties were for aligning incorrectly -- three against left tackle Chukwuma Okorafor and one against right tackle Mike Onwenu.
In addition to Brissett and Maye, the Patriots have rookie Joe Milton III and third-year veteran Bailey Zappe on the quarterback depth chart leading into Tuesday's deadline to trim the roster to 53 players.
From the beginning of training camp, Mayo has consistently maintained that Brissett is the starter, with Maye having a chance to win the job if he "lights it up."
Asked if he feels ready if called upon for the season opener, Maye said: "Yeah, I think I would feel ready. I think I'm ready for whatever this football team asks of me and ready to get out there and try to help beat the Bengals Week 1."
Fanatics names Marvin Harrison Jr.'s father in refiled lawsuit
TEMPE, Ariz. -- Fanatics refiled its lawsuit against Arizona Cardinals rookie wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. late last week, expanding it to include fraud allegations against his father, Marvin Harrison Sr.
In the revised suit, which was filed Friday in the New York State Supreme Court, Fanatics named Pro Football Hall of Famer Harrison Sr. as a party in the suit, and it alleges he "aided and abetted Harrison Jr.'s fraud on Fanatics."
The impetus for Fanatics' suit against Harrison Jr., which was filed May 18, is an alleged breach of contract by Harrison Jr.
Fanatics' refiled suit claims the defendants in the case "deliberately misled Fanatics into believing there was a binding contract between Harrison Jr., his company, and Fanatics, and that Harrison Jr. had signed that contract."
The suit also claims that "Harrison Sr. further led Fanatics to believe that Harrison Jr. had signed the Binding Term Sheet."
The new allegations stem from two affidavits -- one from Harrison Jr. and one from Harrison Sr. -- filed on July 31 that stated it was Harrison Sr., not Harrison Jr., who signed the binding term sheet that is at the center of the lawsuit. Both affidavits were written to be true under the penalty of perjury.
Fanatics revised its counts from four to six while replacing two initial counts. Fanatics claims it was led to believe that it was negotiating the binding term sheet with Harrison Jr. through Harrison Sr., but that it would be Harrison Jr. who would sign the term sheet. That belief was dismantled with the July affidavits from Harrison Jr. and Harrison Sr.
In the revised suit, Fanatics claims the signature on the binding term sheet "bears a striking resemblance" to Harrison Jr.'s signature on both the W-9 form that Harrison Jr. had to provide for his company, The Official Harrison Collection, and the autographs being sold on the company's website.
Along with the revised suit, Fanatics also filed examples of Harrison Jr.'s signature from the term sheet, an autograph from his company's website and his W-9, along with his father's signature. Fanatics claims that Harrison Jr., Harrison Sr. and The Official Harrison Collection "executed the Binding Term Sheet to further their own self-interest and to obtain negotiating leverage with other licensees in order to gain even larger profits."
New details were provided in the revised suit, including that when Fanatics sent Harrison Sr. a copy of the binding term sheet in May 2023, Fanatics said its understanding was that the deal was between Harrison Jr. and Fanatics. The suit claims that Harrison Sr. never disputed that.
In his affidavit from July 26, Harrison Jr. said: "I never intended to be personally bound by the 'Binding Term Sheet' and I am not personally bound by it."
The revised suit also claims that Harrison Jr., The Official Harrison Collection and Fanatics had three agreements "executed or contemplated": a promotion and license agreement, the binding term sheet and an amended and restated promotion and license agreement.
Harrison Jr.'s affidavit from July 26, the third day of Cardinals' training camp, centers around Harrison Jr. saying the agreement with Fanatics was between his company and Fanatics, and not between himself and Fanatics.
"It is not an agreement between Fanatics and me," Harrison Jr. said in the filing. "I was never requested to, nor did I ever, sign any document that personally obligated me to do anything concerning the 'Binding Term Sheet.'"
Also, in mid-August, a letter was sent to the judge from Fanatics' attorney saying that both parties agreed on potential mediators. The court told the attorney, Robert Longtin, that the name of the mediator needed to be sent to the court by Sept. 6.
Ravens offensive line coach Joe D'Alessandris dies at age 70
OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- Baltimore Ravens offensive line coach Joe D'Alessandris died Sunday morning at the age of 70, the team announced.
D'Alessandris had been hospitalized for the past two weeks with what the Ravens had described as "an acute illness" that required ongoing treatment for an extended period. Ravens coach John Harbaugh said at the time that D'Alessandris had surgery early in the summer, and his illness was a complication from it.
With a coaching career that spanned 45 years, D'Alessandris was Baltimore's offensive line coach since 2017.
"Coach 'Joe D' was a man of integrity and a man of faith," Harbaugh said in a statement. "He made us all better. He was our reader at team mass, and he was loved by all here. He was a great coach and a good man -- the kind of person who you are honored to have as a friend. I admired him, loved him and am going to miss him, because 'Joe D' was a joy."
The Ravens hired George Warhop as their offensive line coach on Aug. 14, when they announced D'Alessandris' extended absence.
Known as a great teacher and technician, D'Alessandris was one of the most respected figures in the Ravens organization for his kind spirit and warm demeanor. He was the reader at team Mass on game days.
"Today is a sad day for the Baltimore Ravens," Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said in a statement. "'Joe D' was a rock, a great coach and a better person. He cared about the team deeply, exhibiting a relentless passion to excel while displaying genuine love for his players. I especially treasure my conversations with him, talking about football and life.
During his seven seasons with the Ravens, D'Alessandris mentored five Pro Bowl offensive linemen in Marshal Yanda, Ronnie Stanley, Orlando Brown Jr., Tyler Linderbaum and Kevin Zeitler.
"I'll never forget that laugh. Thank you coach D," Stanley posted to X on Sunday.
Harbaugh has called D'Alessandris a top game-planner, saying he's "a huge part of our offense." In the past six seasons with D'Alessandris, the Baltimore offensive line ranked in the top 10 in win rates for run and pass blocking.
D'Alessandris had been overseeing the Ravens' latest offensive line rebuild. Baltimore will start three new offensive linemen this season after not re-signing Zeitler and guard John Simpson and trading right tackle Morgan Moses to the New York Jets.
D'Alessandris' coaching career began as a graduate assistant in 1977. He went on to coach offensive lines in college, the Canadian Football League, the World League of American Football and the NFL. D'Alessandris previously served as the offensive line coach for the Bills (2010-12) and Chargers (2013-15).
D'Alessandris' wife, Toni, died in 2022. They had been married 42 years. He is survived by three daughters, Anna, Kelly and Emily.
"I will always remember standing back with Joe on the practice field and watching him up close with his players," DeCosta said. "Coach was the consummate teacher and friend, and I will miss him deeply. Our thoughts and prayers go to Joe's daughters and family and everyone touched by Joe's remarkable spirit."
Sean Payton: Broncos QB Zach Wilson to make 53-man roster
DENVER - The first step of Zach Wilson's career rebuild is nearly complete as Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton said Wilson will be one of three quarterbacks who will make the roster after its cut to 53 players.
The news comes after Wilson helped lead Denver to a 38-12 victory over the Arizona Cardinals in Sunday's preseason finale.
Wilson said he is "grateful'' to have been traded to the Broncos and that "I'm loving it out here.'' Rosters leaguewide have to be whittled down to 53 players by 4 p.m. ET Tuesday.
The Broncos acquired Wilson in a trade with the New York Jets just before the April draft after the former No. 2 pick had three tumultuous seasons with the Jets. Wilson got the majority of the playing time Sunday against the Cardinals as the team's starter, rookie Bo Nix, was not in uniform. Fellow backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham played only the opening possession.
Wilson finished 16-of-25 passing for 251 yards with two touchdowns to go with 22 yards rushing and another touchdown. Asked about the extended playing time Sunday, easily his most of the preseason, Wilson said he feels a growing comfort level in the Broncos' offense.
"I can't think of any games in my career when it feels like we're getting into a rhythm [like Sunday],'' Wilson said. "Even if you go three and out and get stopped here and there [with the Broncos], you feel like you're going to put something together. It feels good to feel that as an offense. One bad play happens and you expect something good to happen on the next one.''
Wilson was in what was initially a three-way competition for the Broncos' starting quarterback job throughout the offseason as well as the first week of the training camp. But from the second week of training camp on it was Nix and Stidham who battled for the starting job and divided the work with the starters until Payton named Nix the starter last week.
But Wilson has said he thinks he has rediscovered parts of his game and Payton has consistently maintained there is a place for Wilson on the roster because of Wilson's potential and "arm talent.'' Payton said after Sunday's game that Nix, Stidham and Wilson will all be on the roster after the team makes its cuts.
"We've got enough money to ... I understand the question,'' Payton said Sunday when asked if all three would fit within the team's salary cap. "We feel comfortable with those three quarterbacks. I think I've told you already I see the three of them making it.''
On Wilson's play against the Cardinals, Payton added: "Look, he made some impressive throws. ... He's got a live arm down the field, I thought he threw it away when it wasn't there. ... [He] had plenty of time on the play clock, to get in and out of plays if need be. It's been the better part of the last two and half weeks [that he's played well].''
Payton said during practices this past week Wilson "was on bit of a heater.''
From his arrival in Denver, Wilson has said he hoped to smooth the rough edges that marked his time with the Jets. He had a 12-21 record in his 33 career starts in New York, didn't complete at least 56% of his passes in two of the three seasons and had 23 total touchdown passes to 25 interceptions.
Sunday, preseason finale or not, Wilson said it was important to him to play without a turnover, and the Broncos offense did not have a false start, delay of game or procedure penalty.
"I feel like I've played enough to avoid having those issues,'' Wilson said. "Just the operation, getting the ball out of my hands, just playing quarterback how I'm supposed to, putting our team in the best position possible.''
Wilson said, with the most career NFL starts of the Broncos' quarterbacks, he is ready to help Nix through any rough spots if he can as well.
"We all want to play, we all want to be on the team,'' Wilson said. "We all want to do the best, but we all understand the other person's side of it, so we all have each other's back. I want them all to do the best they can. ... If I can be any sort of resource or help to [Nix] ... I will.
"I was excited for him, I don't think it was a surprise to a lot of people. ... [But] I told him I'm excited for him. I really believe they're putting him in a good situation.''
.jpeg)
0 Comments